Reports

2016-17 Cluster Analysis Documents for Virginia

Health Science

The Health Science cluster continues to have the highest rate of job growth of all clusters in Virginia. It employed approximately 294,000 Virginia workers in 2014, and is expected to employ nearly 63,000 more by 2024. The Therapeutic Services pathway is expected to see the greatest number of job openings in the years until 2024. Read the full report.

Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

This cluster is anticipated to experience a slightly below-average employment growth through 2024. In 2014, this cluster provided approximately 250,000 jobs in Virginia and about 16,500 more are expected by 2024. The Sales & Service pathway is projected to see the highest percentage job growth. Read the full report.

Information Technology

With anticipated job growth rate of 17 percent by 2024, Information Technology is expected to have the second highest percentage of job growth in the Commonwealth among all clusters. The greatest number of new jobs are anticipated in three occupations: Web Developers, Information Security Analysts, and Computer Systems Analysts. Read the full report.

STEM

By 2024, the STEM cluster is anticipated to expand its employment in Virginia by 6 percent. Statisticians are projected to experience the highest rate of job growth in this cluster while Mechanical Engineers are expected to see the greatest number of annual job openings. Read the full report.

Manufacturing

The Manufacturing cluster is comprised of four pathways that include positions available to individuals with a variety of education levels. Despite a job growth rate of only 1 percent over the decade, this cluster is projected to have about 7,000 job openings annually as a result of both job growth and net replacement of employees who leave their jobs. Read the full report.

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security

Anticipated job growth in this cluster is 11 percent by 2024 with nearly 229 new positions for Forensic Science Technicians and 1,404 new positions for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. However, Security & Protective Services is anticipated to see the greatest increase in overall number of jobs. Read the full report.

Arts, A/V Technology & Communications

The overall expected growth for this cluster is 2% by 2024, which is a lower-than-average growth rate. Three occupations will see a significant decline in the number of jobs available over the next decade: Prepress Technicians and Workers, Desktop Publishers, and Radio and Television Announcers. Read the full report.

Finance

The Securities & Investments pathway is projected to see the highest growth rate in the years until 2024 at 22%, while the Accounting pathway is expected to add the most jobs — over 6,000 by 2024. Overall, the expected growth in the Finance Cluster is 9% by 2024, which is about the same as for the Commonwealth as a whole. Read the full report.

Architecture & Construction

In this cluster, the Construction pathway has the greatest number of employment opportunities (over 185,000) while the Design/Pre-Construction pathway draws people with more formal education – an associate degree or higher. The expected growth in this cluster is 9% over the next decade, about the same as for the Commonwealth as a whole. Read the full report.

Hospitality & Tourism

The Hospitality & Tourism Cluster is expected to experience a 10% employment growth by 2024 and will have the greatest number of job openings annually – 20,000+ throughout Virginia with over 78% (or over three fourths) of these openings occurring within the Restaurants & Food/Beverage Services pathway. Read the full report.

Education & Training

The Education & Training Cluster is expected to have the fourth highest percentage in job growth in Virginia among all clusters (13% by 2024). Interpreters and Translators are expected to have the highest percentage of job growth while Elementary School teachers are projected to have the greatest increase in positions by 2024. Read the full report.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Employment is expected to decline in this cluster as a whole, but growth is anticipated in four of the seven pathways: Animal Systems; Environmental Service Systems (which is projected to experience double-digit growth through 2024); Natural Resource Systems; and Power, Structural, & Technical Systems. Read the full report.

Business Management & Administration

The Business Management & Administration cluster is the largest of all career clusters, consisting of about 713,200 positions in 2014. The Administrative Support pathway, while experiencing only 5% growth from 2014 to 2024, will account for over 60 percent of all annual job openings in this cluster. Read the full report.

Government & Public Administration

The Government & Public Administration cluster is expected to experience 9% growth from 2014 to 2024; however, the Planning and Public Management and Administration pathways are both projected to have greater-than-average job growth over the next decade—13 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Read the full report.

Human Services

The Human Services cluster continues to have the third highest rate of job growth (16%) of all clusters, adding over 28,000 new jobs throughout the Commonwealth by 2024. The Personal Care Services pathway is the largest of all pathways in the Human Services cluster, consisting of an estimated 102,471 positions in 2014. Read the full report.

Marketing

Marketing is third largest of all the career clusters in the state, consisting of nearly 446,000 positions in 2014; however, this cluster is projected to have slightly below-average job growth (7%) through 2024 compared to the state’s overall projected job growth of 9 percent. The Professional Sales pathway employs the greatest number of people within the cluster. Read the full report.

Archived Reports

2015 Cluster Briefs

Architecture & Construction

In this cluster, Construction is the pathway with the highest number of employment opportunities while Design/Pre-Construction is drawing on the greatest educational experiences. The expected growth in this cluster is 18%, with 10,535 annual job openings expected between 2012 and 2022 due to growth and net replacements. Read the full report.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Employment is not expected to increase in this cluster as a whole, but growth is anticipated in pathways, such as Animal Systems and Natural Resource Systems. Engineering and technical occupations, including veterinary technicians and conservation scientists, are anticipated to see strong job growth. Read the full report.

Arts, A/V Technology & Communications

The overall expected growth for this cluster is 8% by 2022 with Technical Writing and Graphic Design experiencing the highest number of job openings. This Cluster Analysis highlights information important to each of the six pathways. Read the full report.

Business Management & Administration

In the Business Management & Administration Cluster, Administrative Support is expected to see the highest growth in sheer number of available jobs, and particularly strong job growth is anticipated for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners. The overall expected growth in this cluster is 9% by 2022. Read the full report.

Education & Training

In the Education & Training Cluster, the overall expected growth by 2022 is 18% and exceeds the projected employment growth rate across the Commonwealth. Childcare workers, elementary school teachers, and teacher assistants are expected to have the greatest number of job opportunities, annually, through 2022. Read the full report.

Finance

The Securities & Investments pathway is projected to see the highest growth rate in the years until 2022, adding nearly 3000 new jobs while the Accounting pathway is projected to see the highest growth in sheer numbers of new jobs — nearly 7000 jobs by 2022. Overall, the expected growth in the Finance Cluster is 13% by 2022. Read the full report.

Government

Employment growth is anticipated in most of the pathways in Government & Public Administration. Many occupations in this cluster, especially those in Governance, Planning and Revenue & Taxation pathways, require college degrees. Read the full report.

Health Science

The Health Science cluster is the fastest growing cluster in Virginia. It employed approximately 294,000 Virginia workers in 2012, and is expected to employ nearly 77,000 more in 2022. The Therapeutic Services pathway is expected to see the greatest number of job openings in the years until 2022. Read the full report.

Hospitality & Tourism

The Hospitality & Tourism Cluster is expected to grow by over 65,000 jobs between 2012 and 2022, with over 21,000 employment opportunities available annually. While the Travel and Tourism pathway is expected to grow in the coming years, there is likely to be a decrease in the demand for positions such as Travel Agents. Read the full report.

Human Services

The Human Services Cluster is expected to grow by over 40,000 jobs between the years 2012 and 2022, with over 7,000 employment opportunities available annually. With a projected growth rate of 25 percent by 2022, Human Services is one of the fastest-growing clusters in the Commonwealth. full report.

Information Technology

With anticipated job growth rate of 25 percent between 2012 and 2012, Information Technology is one of the fastest growing clusters in the Commonwealth. Among all pathways in the IT cluster, the greatest number of new jobs is anticipated in Programming and Software Development. full report.

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security

Anticipated job growth in this cluster is 15 percent between 2012 and 2022 with nearly 50% more positions for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. In this cluster, Security & Protective Services is anticipated to have the highest number of jobs by 2022. full report.

Manufacturing

The Manufacturing cluster is comprised of four pathways that include positions available to individuals with a variety of education levels. By 2022, this cluster is anticipated to include over 300,000 positions across Virginia with the Production pathway comprising the greatest number of positions—nearly 162,000. full report.

Marketing

With nearly 470,000 positions anticipated by 2022, Marketing is one of the largest career clusters across the Commonwealth. Professional Sales is the largest pathway, but is anticipated to grow at the slowest rate while Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists are expected to be the fastest growing occupations in the cluster. full report.

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)

By 2022, this cluster is anticipated to include nearly 100,000 positions across Virginia, which is about a 12 percent growth rate over 2012 employment figures. Mechanical and Civil Engineering occupations are anticipated to have the highest employment numbers. full report.

Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

By 2022, this cluster is anticipated to include over 325,000 positions across the Commonwealth, which is a growth rate of about 9 percent over 2012 employment figures. Occupations likely to see fast growth during this time period include Logisticians and Automotive & Watercraft Service Attendants. full report.

2014 Cluster Briefs

Health Science

Occupations within the Health Science Career Cluster currently make up nearly one in ten Virginia jobs. Students interested in becoming doctors, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, Emergency Medicine Technicians (EMTs) ,health sciences researchers, or other health services professionals can anticipate a favorable job market in the coming years. Read more in the full report.

Architecture and Construction

The pace of activity in architecture and construction in Virginia is picking up after the blows dealt by the recent recession. By 2020, construction is forecast to grow by about 24 percent over 2010 levels. As a result, more than three quarters of Virginia construction employers consider preparing the next generation of skilled construction workers a top legislative priority. Read more in the full report.

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

The occupations in the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster provide employment for about 4 percent of Virginians. By 2020, employment in this Career Cluster is expected to grow by 13 percent over 2010 levels. The highly skilled public service professionals making their careers in these fields are vital to our communities and to the future of the Commonwealth. Read more in the full report.

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

Virginia is a national leader in technology and innovation—by 2020 it is estimated that STEM will provide employment opportunities for over 100,000 Virginians. Beyond the many career choices in STEM, the technological competence and problem solving skills encouraged in this cluster will become increasingly important for today’s young job-seekers. Read more in the full report.

Information Technology

Occupations in Information Technology—such as data modeling, geospatial analysis, software engineering, IT consulting, or technical support—make up nearly 5 percent of employment opportunities in Virginia. This brief reveals important statistics about IT employment and addresses ways to engage students in this growing and changing industry. Read more in the full report.

Manufacturing

Despite declines in recent decades, the United States remains a critical part of the U.S. economy as the second largest manufacturing sector in the world. The Commonwealth — in particular, the Virginia Beach region — plays an important national role in shipbuilding and repair and the New River Valley is home to the largest Volvo Truck assembly plant in the world. Read more in the full report.